Traditional prosthetic devices typically operate by securing the residual limb into a rigid or semi-rigid socket. A socket may commonly refer to the portion of a prosthesis that fits around and secures a residual limb, and to which prosthetic components, such as a foot, are attached. Traditional prosthetic devices, such as sockets, are generally designed to stabilize the skeletal components of the residual limb and allow minimal relative movement between the socket and the residual limb. To effectively support the residual limb and allow for the efficient transfer of mechanical loads from the residual limb to the ground, the prosthetic sockets are designed to provide a sufficient support to secure the residual limb within the socket, while at the same time allowing sufficient flexibility to allow for circulation and account for other physiological, temporal or environmental changes that may affect the shape and/or volume of the residual limb.
One significant drawback of traditional prosthetic sockets is the inability to account for shape and volume fluctuations of the residual limb. Traditional prosthetic sockets are generally produced in a fixed or static form such that they do not have the ability to accommodate changes in the residual limb-socket interface. For example, it is known that a number or factors may cause a residual limb to change shape and/or present an altered volumetric profile. Shape and volume fluctuations in a residual limb may be due to many factors, including but not limited to: edema, muscle atrophy, weight gain/loss, renal dialysis, salt and water intake, alcohol consumption, menses, changes in wearing time, and activity.
Additionally, the act of wearing a prosthetic socket, in combination with the mechanical action of walking, or other movements, causes a reduction in the overall volume of a residual limb over time. When there are shape and volume fluctuations, the residual limb-socket interface is compromised, which can lead to discomfort, pain, destabilizing motion between the socket and residual limb, as well as damage to surrounding soft tissue.
As such, there exists a need for a non-static prosthetic socket that may overcome the limitations of prior traditional systems. The current invention overcomes the limitations of, and indeed surpasses the functionality of traditional static prosthetic socket systems. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a simple, versatile, cost effective, non-static prosthetic socket. Specifically, one aim of the present technology is to provide a disarticulated compression socket that may be adjustable, for example through compression or expansion to efficiently secure a residual limb within the body of the socket. Additional aims of the present invention include providing a disarticulated compression socket that may allow for anatomically directed compression, as well as features to accommodate soft tissue expansion.
Accordingly, the objects of the methods and apparatus described herein address each of the aforementioned problems and goals in a practical manner. Naturally, further objects of the inventive technology will become apparent from the description and drawings below.